Kidney educational series continues Sunday

More than 900 people were diagnosed with kidney disease between 2003 and 2009, so all the more reason for educational series on the malady, one expert said.

In the Crossroads, the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries with the disease has increased from 19 to 21 percent, said Dr. Earl Smith.

The reason - increases in the overweight population and people with diabetes and hypertension.

"These subtle factors all of a sudden add up to a pretty ugly disease," he said.

Last weekend, the TMF Health Quality Institute in Austin held a kidney disease educational series at DeTar Hospital Navarro. On Sunday, the institute will host the educational series at Citizens Medical Center.

Smith, who works with the institute, said education on how the disease progresses could help lower its prevalence.

"Most people just don't have an understanding of the disease," he said. "It takes a lot of education so people can understand how this progresses. They feel fine, which is the problem."

The educational series is presented by the institute, the National Kidney Foundation Serving Texas and the Texas Campaign for Kidney Health and the American Association of Kidney Patients.

Management of the disease through diet and lifestyle adjustments will be discussed, Smith said.

"It's a program that gives people a nice oversight," Smith said. "It lets them know there is hope and that there are ways to intervene."

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KIDNEY DISEASE FACTS

Between 2003 and 2009 for Victoria, the prevalence of kidney disease among Medicare patients grew from 20 percent to 24 percent, or 517 more patients.

In Victoria, the number of chronic kidney disease patients increased from 212 to 382.

Medicare beneficiaries in Victoria's eight-county region whose kidneys failed them increased 59 percent. From 485 patients in 2009 compared to 305 patients in 2001. The number of Medicare patients grew to 211 in 2009 from 111 in 2001 in Victoria.